Srinagar, Oct 6: Former MLA Pahalgam Rafi Ahmad Mir has welcomed PDP president Mehbooba Mufti’s recent call for political parties in Jammu and Kashmir to learn from Ladakh’s unity and come together on issues concerning the region, saying that such a collective approach is something he had advocated much earlier.
Mehbooba Mufti, speaking at the fifth Halla Bolle conclave in Srinagar, urged political parties to put aside their differences and form a common platform to jointly take up Jammu and Kashmir’s political, social and economic concerns with the Centre.
Welcoming the statement, Mir, as per a statement issued on Tuesday, during a meeting with civil society stakeholders in Pahalgam, said that J&K’s leadership must rise above party lines on issues affecting its people.
“I welcome Mehbooba Mufti’s call. I have been advocating this for a long time. Jammu and Kashmir cannot afford to speak to Delhi in fragmented voices when the issues before us concern the future of entire generation,” Mir said.
Mir recalled that he had also met National Conference President Dr Farooq Abdullah in the recent past and placed before him the need for political parties to come together and jointly pursue issues of larger public importance.
He said that during his interactions and public addresses, he had repeatedly stressed that political differences should not prevent leaders from finding common ground on issues that directly affect the people of Jammu and Kashmir.
“We can have our political differences. We can contest elections against each other. But when it comes to the larger questions concerning Jammu and Kashmir, we must be able to sit together, keep our differences aside and speak with one voice,” Mir said.
Referring to the experience of Ladakh, Mir said the political stakeholders in Jammu and Kashmir should seriously examine whether a similar united approach could strengthen its engagement with the Centre.
